Our little collection of dance-memories

Over the years, we got more and more involved with dancing .. in a good way :)

We started attending contests, shows and so on... part of the stuff was carefully documented by one of my colleagues, so below there's a little collection of some memorable moments from our "dancing career" ;;) it could have been a career had we started 10-15 years earlier :D as kids ;;) but well, as they say, better late than never :D

Back in 2011, we attended a dance show called "Dancing around the world".. I remember we were dressed up as cowboys (we = the group of adults taking dance classes as hobby).
There is no youtube recording of that show... or I couldn't find one. However, in 2013 we did another show. Our group danced in "Shrek"-themed costumes :)
There is some "online evidence" of that ;;)
Rumba group showdance
Waltz group showdance

We also attended some Flashmobs; in the one linked here, we're more in the background (the real stars were the professional dancers), but the whole thing was nice and a nice experience, even for an adult :-) After this, there came "dancing in the street activities" and all sorts of nice experiences. Unlike the competitions (that are... how should I say... competitive :P of course), the shows require team-work, synchronization and a very good collaboration. That's why I prefer shows over competitions... even though only competitions help you "grow as a dancer"... and that's like mandatory for a dancer... to evolve!

More recently, we found a new Dance group for adults and proof that we've blended in, are the moments below :)
Jive rueda showdance
Bachata group showdance

We've also attended several competitions (for adult social dancers) as I mentioned... but we have a lot of space for improvement :)
Competitions for adults (that did not start sport-dance since childhood) are less complex that the real "sport dance" competitions, but are pretty tough for an adult who did not grow up playing sports. For us, it's a great achievement so far... and learning :) ... but that will be the subject of another day's blog entry ;;)

Funny (but true) facts about taking up social dancing

Social dancing is just that: 50% socializing, 50% dancing :) it comes with new friends, dance-evenings, parties, dance shows, even dance contests for the most passionate and daring adults (this goes in the direction of sport dancing)
All in all, it's great, especially for extroverts... Dancing makes us happier, more optimistic, better in some many ways...
However, to have "the whole package" you need the right school and the right crowd :-)

From crowded "low-level" dance schools, to professional Sport-dance clubs, I've experienced it all...I've gone from trying to convince all my friends to join dancing classes, to having to swallow all kind of excuses :) to making new friends an the dance-floor, in dance-school and basically anywhere where there's a dancing event ongoing :-) because a hobby is what brings people together.

A lot of people don't really get "dancing as a hobby"... :-) Like the look of a person, after you've told them that you and your husband/friend are taking dance classes and you're even sometimes attending dance competitions... Some people look up at you with admiration :) These are the people who understand passion, who've lived it (perhaps on dancing, perhaps on other sport..or other activity).. But then, there will always be others who will make a long face... and just say "Dancing?!" while actually thinking "Dancing?! now why on earth would you pick such a hobby, why can't you go to the gym like a normal person... and why oh why are you dragging your husband - against his own will - into this dancing - what-ever nonsense?" ... this is all so funny for me, cause they are the ones "not knowing what they are loosing " :)

 Truth is that not all people understand dancing, not all people want to understand dancing, not all people are "dancer material"; some people prefer not even to try, other find various excuses, that - in time - I find more and more funny...
People have preconceptions... they have impressions that are really not true... so, let me clarify some of stuff :-)) so, if a friend asks you to take up dance classes, before you say "no + the lamest excuse ever", please consider the following true facts about dancing :-)

If your excuse is "Oh.. umm.. I can't attend a dance class, because I have always had two left legs", you should know that all people have "two left legs" before their first dancing class. So, instead of de-motivating yourself, tell yourself this: "Ohh come on, man up! That is the whole point in taking a class :D if I knew how to dance, you would not need to take the class in the first place." ... before your pissed off friend says to you "Oh, so I bet you didn't go to school in the first grade cause you didn't know the letters and you had two left arms, right?!"

"I've tried attending a course but the teacher told me I have two left legs" - If you've ever heard this during a dance-class, never - but never - go back in there. Actually, ask for your money back, cause that teacher is stupid. His/ her job is to turn the "two left legs" into "two right legs" , so the teacher is too lame to do his job, to explain everything in an understandable way.. as I said: this is not funny, but said for that dance instructor. Find a professional club to pick up dancing.

"My dance partner told me I have two left legs"... so, don't give up dancing, just give up that partner :-) while learning, tolerance is a very very valuable tip ;;) Remember there will be conflicts, toe-stepping, but since it's "social dancing" , consider that it's a lot of "socializing", before you actually reach "dancing" :))

If you are truly interested in taking up a dance class, find the right place for you, depending on what you want... Don't be afraid to search some more, it you don't "blend in" with the first dancer-crowd :)

"I don't understand the music" -excuse... Well, nobody really understands the music before their first class .. or before the first 3-month course :) some of us.. not even after the first year :P... now that I've already said so much... I can admit (without too much shame :P) that it took me years to actually understand the music :-) I attended a contest dancing - one of the choreographies) totally out-of-music (ok.. in my defense, it was among our first contests).

Or when a guy says "Dancing?! That's for girls.. I took up football." and you can only hear: "Dancing? Why would I hold and dance with a beautiful girl, on the dance floor, when I can go and run around with the crowd, chasing a ball" :-) Well, this is mean. I do support any sport activity, but I don't support people (or parents) who think that "football is for boys, dancing is for girls".. Oh well... :-)

And last but not least... "that guy" who's way too "manly" to join dance classes, but complains when some random dancer invites his girlfriend to the dance-floor - and she likes it ;;) or "that girl" who was too busy to take dance classes and now some cute guy comes along to invite her to dance and she's excited but way too worried, about her "two left legs" :))

Social dancing is somewhere between "nice to have" and "mandatory" ... not "math-mandatory"(because math is mandatory :P ) but more like "social-mandatory" ;;) if you know what I mean :)
So, think twice before saying "no" to dancing... or well, think as many times as it takes for you before you say "yes" ;;) This activity is clearly worth at least a "drive test" :) of let's say one month...

Ballroom dancing, a "look back" in time...

Whenever I get the chance to watch a ballroom dance-competition, I admire the dancers, their great talent, appearance, the graceful yet very energy-full movements.
But, on the same level, what catches my eye, is the dancers' glamorous appearance, with the long and complex designed dresses; men wearing the elegant tail suits; outfits combined with the dancers' perfect looks: hair, makeup, great shape!

The ball gowns, with their very rich history during the 18th and 19th centuries have been re-edited in today's ballroom dancing dresses, used in shows and competitions. I'm sure the dress designers have a very interesting job, of combining the materials into shapes, the corset-like tops, with the rich multi-layered skirts, adding of course the modern touch to create true "pieces of art"...

It is then, in the middle of the Waltz, that my imagination flies away... far away... in a land of Fairy tail; where a ball takes place... and the pairs are floating on the dance-floor so peaceful, graceful.

Slow waltz originates from Germany and was refined by the English school. Wienner waltz was originally an austrian folk dance. Only in the 1900s it became known and danced by the upper class, gaining it's well-deserved position next to the slow waltz [more info here].

It's a pity people don't dance any more, in a real meaning of the dance... Less and less people are interested in learning the "classical dances". Some, just try to make an impression and rehearse or learn for their Big wedding day something that tries to resemble a waltz but looks more like a fake moment they managed to "pull off" ... I admire that intention also, but I'm so sorry that we've all 'missed' the times when people used to dance... as a culture, as a social act, a high-class social act...

Let's now enjoy some fragments of the past eras...

Special delivery from Argentina: Tango!

Did you also notice that Argentine Tango has spread all around Europe!?!
That' great because Dancing makes people better, on so many levels... from the top of my head: more beautiful, more open-minded, less stressed, less introverted, more communicative, more assertive, more sociable, thus, so much happier!

In my location, the first School of Tango opened in 2010. Now, there are at least 5 schools and I deeply believe the number will continue to grow.
All the people that met and fell in love with <tango>, have grown into a very numerous and classy community of "tangueros" (tango dancers). Being a social (saloon) dance, people easily interact with each-other, not only during the tango-classes or seminars but also during the Milongas (the Parties focused on Argentine Tango music).

The dance is pretty much based on improvisation, based on the on-the-spot inspiration of the music.
Unlike Dancesport for example, where you rehearse the same choreography over and over, with the same partner, in order to achieve a high technical and musical performance (for competitions), in social dancing the goal is not to be technical and sportive, but to have a nice time, to interact with other people, to be able to dance "with everyone at the party".

However, improvisation does not mean that you don't need to know anything, just listen to the music. During the tango classes, people learn the musicality of the dance, various tango figures and rules on the tango dance-floor (e.g. moving direction, to avoid collision with other couples :)) - if you ever practiced any ballroom dance, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about!).

The improvisation stands in the way the tango-figures are combined and lead by the leader (the man), according his inspiration and feeling of the music. The follower (the woman) knowing the "routines" is able to perform the figure that the leader expects, thus, creating an- every-time unique choreography.

This is the beauty of every social dance, the variety of people interaction and that's why it became very popular in a very short time. The tango society is not only local, but there's a strong connection between the tango schools and dancers, all around Europe. In almost all the weekends, you can find and least one Tango Event, somewhere in Europe.
Tango a like a natural communication language - anybody who attended tango-classes should be able to dance with other tango dancers even though he / she may have never even met before.

Two strangers that don't speak the same language, may dance together at a Milonga Party, because, they do speak the same language: Tango :)
If you ever attended of plan to attend Tango events, you know - or will find out - that anything connected to Tango Milongas is "language free" :-) I somehow find this very mysterious, but very attractive and exciting: the leader will invite the lady to dance - with a look - if she wants to dance, she will meet him on the dance floor; if she doesn't she will act like she didn't catch the look. During the dance itself, the tangueros don't make conversation, they just enjoy the dance and the music.

Even though we became familiar with Argentine Tango a few years ago, we did not attend so many tango classes and parties, because we were more focused on Sportdance and some other social dances. So I guess it's not fair to say that we are part of the local tango community, but what I can say for sure, is that I've truly enjoyed every Argentine Tango event, attended so far.
Below some picture we took, when we attended great tango show.

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What I loved most and what I still remember with great pleasure, is a show dance that I like to call "a special delivery from Argentina". An Argentine Tango show, performed by a couple of genuine Argentine Dancers, that were invited, as part of an international Tango Festival.
Their performance was so incredibly intense, that even when I look at the pictures, I can still feel the passion and intense emotions that were floating in the air, while they were performing: the vibrant colors of their dance; the strong passion they were able to deliver; the mixture of feelings and the authenticity of spirit.
That was not only the "cherry on top" of that event - but, for me personally - that was the "cherry on top" for my entire idea of Tango Dancing :-)
Here are some pictures we took, but I must say it once more, there was so much more going on in the atmosphere :) much, much more than the pictures can show:

It doesn't matter why you dance, where you dance, what you dance and whom you dance it with,
as long as it makes you happy, keep dancing! Dance with passion! 

Friday Night Dance Fusion

Already a "tradition" in our local social-dancing community, organized once in a while and usually on Friday evenings, the so called Friday Night Dances, a party where attendees can enjoy the well known rhythms of ballrooms dances, such as Waltz, Quick Step, Tango, harmoniously mixed with the latin rhythms such as Cha-Cha, Jive, Samba, Rumba.

Due to the international dance festival organized this year, the organizers reinvented the idea of Friday Night Party and mixed together all the dances promoted by this year's festival: thus creating the very-original Friday Night Dance Fusion, a fusion of: Sport/social dance, Argentine Tango, Contemporary dance, Caribbean dances and street dance; with show-dances and special performances.

When we decided to attend this party, I didn't know I was going to love it so much!!!
As a connoisseur, I have raised my standards of a quality-social-dance party; :-) having a history of social-dance parties that I've attended in the past years (from New-Year's Social-Dance Parties, Halloween and so on) to the usual or classical Friday Night Dances (that we even helped organized, from time to time).

This party, the Friday Night Dance Fusion, had all the spice & pepper it needed: high quality location with great food and beverages plus the party specials: themed cocktails; a wooden dance-floor, the groups of music lovers gave the party a unique atmosphere; the musical variety, all topped with the surprising shows... all combined, turned this party into the best event of it's kind (that I've ever attended). Each of us came with a style or from a group but we ended up watching and even dancing, learning or practicing other dance styles.

As I didn't have my camera, I will use the existing photos, thus photo credits will be mentioned in the end of this post.

Perhaps Contemporary Dancing is not so easy to understand, if you're not familiar with it (as I was not), my impression, is that the style is more in the sphere of theatrical, calculated, but warm :-)
Anyways, what I can say for sure is that, the dance was delightful for the eyes, the ears, the heart!!!

One of my favorite parts, the ballroom dancing show! This sport-dance moment was the one that I enjoyed the most! This young couple of Professional Dancers offered us a close-to-perfection interpretation of three dances that I very much like: slow waltz, tango and slow fox. A delight for the eyes and for the soul; awesome dancers, great costumes, wonderful poses and  posture, attitude, technique and musicality... 

As I mentioned previously, there was a Fusion of five styles: Contemporary Dances, Street Dance, Ballroom, Argentine Tango and Caribbean Dances. The well known salsa and bachata are part of this last mentioned group. We saw the dancers from the "Salsa school" perform on the rhythms all night long. They prepared a special, very passionate bachata show... heating up both the floor and the atmosphere! Watch them :-)

As another sign of a successful party, the dance floor was always full between the dance performances. People were enjoying themselves and dancing to their favorite rhythms, music, they were all "dance-stars" :-) 

Even though we didn't get the chance to learn so much Argentine Tango, I must say it's one of my soft sports, because it's very very unexpected. The tango orchestra turns rapidly from soft, to passionate and even to brutal noises. Music is the star of the dance floor, the dancers (leader and follower) seem like puppets, in the hands of music; they will surprise you with great poses and a lot of passion that's going on, on the dance floor.

I'm now looking forward for future Dance Parties, that will top this one!!! ;;)

[photo credits: Sebastian Gruia / Reflekt Image; follow the link for more pics]

Why do we dance?

Some years ago, I started to take dance classes, as a hobby, a way of combining sports with fun. I've never been an active person, thus there are few sports that I really enjoy. Mainly cycling and dancing :) ... plus some others that I practice rarely...

I enjoy bike riding, during the warm seasons, but it's more like a context-based activity (weather, trip ideas, group of friends and so), I don't do this on a regular basis. When I don't get the chance to bike ride for several months, I don't feel any regret, frustration or need, as I would if I'd skip dancing for some months.
I never enjoyed Aerobics and similar activities, as I find them both tiring and mostly boring. Even when I'm exhausted at the end of a dance-class, I still feed good about myself for having achieved more experience.

Social dancing has grown so much in my life, to the point where it became a way of living. For me, a way of self definition. :)
The sporadic Dance-Sport competitions (for adults), occasional shows, the Social Dance parties, the classes, the seminars; I enjoy and feel proud of being part of the local dance community.

So, knowing a lot of people who love dancing (like sport or social dance, tango argentino, ballet, contemporary dance and so many more... ) makes me wonder I've been thinking...
Why do we dance? Why does it make us happy? Why does dancing define who we are?
Why do we enjoy dancing, while other people in the community totally refuse to even try this?

Some may dance for personal achievement, attending the sport-dance competitions, putting all their effort, mind and body strength, artistic talent into the goal of climbing the sport-dance ladder and reaching the top.
The great artist enchant us with ballet and other rhythms, dancing on the great Theater or Opera stages, combining dancing with other beautiful arts..
Others may dance as a way of fun socializing... No matter the personal reasons, dancing provides you the way to let your mind and body out of the box, expressing you true nature, passion, feelings and energy on the dance floor.

I can't think of a more powerful tool or manner of expression, than dancing. It's the expression of the soul, the artist's state of mind, expressed by very complex body language.

Could dancing be the most powerful language of expression? More powerful than words, pictures, gesture.. because it is so complex, on so many levels, it can transcend word, images, sounds: this unique and subjective combination of movement, facial expressions, reactions, accents, rhythm; interpretation of rythm... musicality; feeling. Ten dance-couples executing the same figures will show you 10 different dances... as each dance is filtered by own personality, own feeling, own emotion... Dancers are able to express Passion, without saying the words, in so many different ways, that there wouldn't be enough words in the dictionary to describe these feelings.

The passionate people dwell in the latin hot rhythms. The more romantic, prefer the tenderness of a hug, during a slow dance... words are not even necessary...
I guess from time to time, we all enjoy an energy boost and "jump up, jump up!" :-D keep the energy pouring on the dance-floor!!!

Whether your dance-floor is a stage, a competition wooden floor, a saloon party, of just the living-room of your house, keep dancing, if dancing makes you happy!!! :-)